Food Well Alliance Announces Inaugural Advisory Council

Food Well Alliance is excited to announce its first-ever advisory council composed of 12 talented young professionals. This group brings a diverse range of perspectives, skills, and lived experiences that will help guide our work and strengthen our impact. The Advisory Council will play a key role in advancing Food Well’s mission to provide resources and support to local growers to connect and build healthier communities, including over 300 farms, gardens, and orchards.

Take a look the twelve Advisory Council Members:

Kristen Casimir

Kristen L. Casimir serves as Senior Manager of Government Affairs at Salesforce, Inc., where she plays a key role in shaping technology legislation and regulatory policies across the Southeast U.S. Based in Atlanta, her expertise in public policy, relationship building, and civic engagement positions her as a vital bridge between the tech industry, stakeholders, and government officials. She champions civic participation by empowering and motivating employees to engage in community initiatives.

Prior to joining Salesforce, Kristen served as a lobbyist at ConnectSouth Public Affairs, where she represented diverse clients across multiple sectors. Her government affairs foundation was built through her leadership of the Students Ambassador Program at the Georgia Secretary of State's office, complemented by strategic internships at the Governor's Office and with the Georgia House of Representatives, where she developed her expertise in advocacy and strategic communication.

Kristen serves as a board member with the State Government Affairs Council and as Vice Chair of the Technology Association of Georgia Government Affairs Committee. She is a proud member of the National Black Professional Lobbyist Association, demonstrating her dedication to advancing diversity and representation in government affairs. Kristen's unique ability to build bridges and drive positive change has established her as an influential advocate for responsible technology policy. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Public Policy from Georgia State University.

Evan Daily

Evan is an economic development leader with a global perspective and a deep commitment to inclusive, local growth, food security, and sustainable agribusiness. He currently serves as Senior Program Manager, Economic Development at Invest Atlanta, where he leads food systems development and supports place-based economic development strategies to move Atlanta forward.   

Evan brings over a decade of experience bridging the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. His background spans environmental management, public health, and sustainable food systems—anchored in both local and international contexts. Prior to Invest Atlanta, Evan was an environmental consultant with United Consulting, managing due diligence and Brownfield redevelopment projects throughout the South and Midwest. Earlier in his career, he led nutrition education and food security initiatives at Open Hand Atlanta, where his partnerships with local governments and community-based organizations helped shape policies advancing health outcome improvements. 

Evan’s work has extended globally, advising agribusiness ventures in Kenya and New Zealand, conducting field research in Costa Rica, and informing food systems policy at Atlanta City Hall. His unique ability to integrate research, policy, and practice makes him a trusted voice in conversations about economic resilience, sustainable development, and community-driven investment.

An Atlanta native, Evan holds a bachelor’s degree in Agribusiness from Massey University and a master’s in Agribusiness Innovation from La Universidad EARTH. He is fluent in Spanish and lives in DeKalb County with his wife, Megan.

Rajesh Gupta

Rajesh is an Atlanta native, who holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and a Master of Public Health Degree from The University of Memphis.  With over 10 years of experience in the non-profit sector, the majority of which spent working in food access, through community garden management and sourcing food to markets, he continues to strive to support more equitable food systems across neighborhoods, primarily in Dekalb County.  In his free time, he enjoys cooking global cuisines (especially from India, his ancestral homeland), writing, hiking, and of course, gardening.

Kendra Hood

Kendra Mells Hood is a Senior Associate at Eversheds Sutherland LLP.  She was born and raised in Blakely, Georgia.  Kendra is a seasoned white collar defense attorney who recently returned to Atlanta after nearly a decade practicing law in Washington, D.C.  She has a JD from Harvard Law School and a BA from Spelman College.  Kendra and her husband live in Smyrna with their rescue pup, Hendrix. 

Omar King

Omar King is a proud native of Memphis, Tennessee. He currently serves as a Senior Analyst in the Economic and Market Analysis Department at UPS. In this key role, he leads the planning and forecasting process, analyzing market trends and economic conditions to inform accurate and actionable business strategies.

Omar is deeply committed to his community. He serves as Volunteer Coordinator with C.H.O.I.C.E.S., where he assists with food distribution drives and fundraising events, directly impacting families in need. Additionally, his volunteer work as a Big Brother with the UPS-sponsored program at Therrell High School offers invaluable, real-time proximity to the South Atlanta community. A dedicated leader, Omar is a 2024 graduate of Hands-on Atlanta’s Civic Leadership Program, a dynamic initiative designed to cultivate the next generation of changemakers in the metro Atlanta area.

Furthermore, he holds leadership roles as a Church Steward and Young Adults Council President at Greater Mt. Carmel AME Church, demonstrating his ability to mobilize volunteers and manage resources in the non-profit sector. Omar previously served as an Instructor in the ATLytiCS Data for Hope Education Program, which is dedicated to empowering Atlanta residents to pursue careers in data analytics. Driven by a passion for community growth, he is thrilled to assist others in exploring opportunities in tech.

In his free time, Omar collects vinyl records, is an avid movie buff, and a Tennessee sports fanatic.

Max Koptik

Max works for Cox Enterprises on the Corporate Social Responsibility team where he leads environmental engagement, education, and volunteerism. This includes managing relationships with local & national environmental nonprofit partners and providing awareness around Cox's environmental conservation efforts as a company. He's passionate about environmental advocacy and protection and is excited to bring his 3+ years of experience to support the mission of Food Well Alliance.

In his free time, he enjoys being active - rock climbing, Pilates, running, biking, and spending time outdoors - as well as live music and traveling."  

Ariel Lopez

Ariel Lopez is an entrepreneur, ecosystem builder, and career coach in Tech. She’s the founder of Knac, an AI recruiting platform that reduces bias in the hiring process and improves the candidate experience. It was inspired by her direct experience helping startups and brands like Nike, Google, Spotify, Uber, and others find top talent. She also leads Partnerships at Techstars, where she works with corporate partners, institutions, and VCs to create new programs for startup founders. She most recently launched a global bootcamp series for diverse founders in partnership with AWS, as well as a $1M dollar program with Wells Fargo to help local business owners.

She’s passionate about bridging the tech divide, economic development, the future of work, diversity and inclusion, and helping others achieve ultimate success in their businesses and careers.

She’s been featured in CNBC, Forbes, FastCompany, Refinery29, and Business Insider and more to share her advice. An avid speaker, I've graced the stages of the Apollo, Grace Hopper,SXSW, ASUGSV,Black Women Talk Tech and others.

Mary Catherine Pelham

Mary Catherine has over 10 years of experience in direct service nonprofits in the metro Atlanta area working to end homelessness. She advocates for fair housing and equitable access to all basic needs and regularly volunteers across the city in various capacities serving the unhoused, food insecure, elderly, children, Veterans, and victims of violence. Mary Catherine also served as a 2023 fellow with Hands On Atlanta's Civic Leadership Program.

Jarred Rankin

A native of Moss Point, Mississippi, Jarred Rankin earned his degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of South Alabama. He began his professional career as a constituent liaison for Representative Jeramey Anderson before joining Georgia Power in 2015 as a Distribution Engineer in Savannah, Georgia.

Jarred currently serves as Legislative Affairs Manager for Georgia Power, where he oversees relationships with elected officials, monitors legislative developments, and advocates for public policy initiatives that align with the interests of both the company and the state.

Beyond his professional responsibilities, Jarred is a devoted husband to his college sweetheart, Amber, and proud father to their two children, Amira and Jace. He remains actively involved in his community as a state board member of Citizens of Georgia Power, a nonprofit organization dedicated to community development and engagement across Georgia. In his free time, Jarred enjoys spending quality time with his family, playing golf, and discovering new travel destinations.

Nina Sullivan

Nina Sullivan is an Integrated Marketing Associate Director for Kimberly-Clark Professional, bringing a decade of experience in strategic marketing and brand growth. An Atlanta native, she is passionate about sustainability and community-driven initiatives that create meaningful, lasting impact.

She loves exploring new cultures through travel and believes those experiences help shape more empathetic, human-centered storytelling in her work. When she’s not on the go, she enjoys time at home with her family and her dog, Crosby.

Sydney Williams

Sydney is a passionate brand storyteller and currently serves as the Senior Manager of Strategy & Insights at The Flex Company, the leading sustainable period care brand in the United States. She began her career in merchandise buying and planning at Macy’s, Inc., and later held brand marketing roles at The Coca-Cola Company, where she led initiatives across innovation, sustainability, and multicultural marketing. A dedicated civic leader, Sydney is a member of the LEAD Atlanta Class of 2026. She also serves on the board of The Study Hall and was honored with Hands On Atlanta’s inaugural “One Millionth Volunteer” award for her community impact. She is based in Atlanta and holds a Bachelor of Arts from Spelman College and an MBA from Emory University.

Cameron Wilson

Cameron Wilson, a native from Dunwoody, Georgia, is the youngest of three brothers and the son of two very supportive parents. Cameron graduated from Elon University in 2021, double majoring in Strategic Communications and Spanish and minoring in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). At Elon, Cameron conducted a research thesis analyzing how NBA teams communicated their social responsibility initiatives through Twitter.

During his junior year of college, Cameron studied abroad for four and a half months in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he lived with an Argentine host family, took classes in Spanish at the Universidad Catolica de Argentina and through the Council on International Education Exchange program, and played on the school’s basketball team. His time in Buenos Aires sparked his love for traveling and using Spanish and sport to experience and learn from other cultures.

After graduating, Cameron served as an English aid at Maimonides High School, a public school in Cordoba, Spain through the North American Language and Culture Assistant Program, an initiative put on by the Spanish government’s Ministry of Education. In Cordoba, Cameron supported History, Technology, and Physics and Chemistry classes that were a part of Maimonides’ bilingual program. He also developed deep friendships by playing on a local basketball team. Cameron spent seven months teaching in Cordoba and two months traveling through Europe.

Upon his return to the states, Cameron joined the Atlanta Braves Community Affairs team in January of 2023 and is currently a Senior Coordinator. He continues combining his passions of service, sports, and Spanish as he helps plan and execute community programming related to food security, ballpark improvement projects, and volunteerism. He also teaches English to Spanish-speaking adults at the Latin American Association on Saturdays. Cameron looks forward to building upon his skills of relationship building, community program planning and execution, and the measurement and evaluation of programs’ impact in the community.